A dream… When people hear this word, it sometimes brings joy to their faces, while at other times, it evokes deep sighs and regret. This is because as long as a person lives, they dream. They set goals, take steps toward them, strive, and work hard. Sometimes, fate grants them the fulfillment of their dreams, and sometimes, those dreams remain as mere wishes—unfulfilled and lost in time.
Since my youth, I, too, have had dreams—visions that guided me, inspired me, and fueled my determination. I have worked tirelessly to achieve them, pouring my energy into every step forward. Dreams have the power to elevate a person, to make them feel like they rule the world, to transport them into a realm as magical as Alice’s Wonderland, where everything seems possible. Even now, I continue to chase my dreams—I study, I strive, I push forward.
Some of my dreams were born in childhood, while others emerged during my teenage years. I am grateful for those I have achieved. Of course, not all dreams are easy to reach. Some may seem utterly impossible, as if fate itself has placed an insurmountable barrier in the way. But no matter how difficult it may seem, one must never surrender. One must never give up.
Because a dream, no matter how distant, is always worth the pursuit.
I, too, have lived chasing my dreams. Yet, those unfulfilled dreams still linger in my heart, my thoughts, and my mind—like distant peaks with no way to reach them.
When I shared my dreams with my parents and loved ones, I often heard discouraging words: “That is impossible,” “It doesn’t suit you,” “It’s not appropriate for our culture,” or “A girl should not pursue such a path.” I faced resistance and opposition.
One of the dreams that turned into a mirage was my deep desire to enter the military. My passion for this field began when I was in school. I was so captivated by the idea of serving in the military that I often imagined myself in uniform, standing in formation, marching with pride, singing military anthems, and taking an oath with unwavering determination. I could see myself walking with honor and discipline among my fellow soldiers.
When the time came and people asked, “What career do you want to pursue?” I confidently answered, “I want to become a soldier.” I had planned to apply to a military academy after finishing school. But, unfortunately, I was met with strong opposition and countless restrictions.
Even then, I refused to give up. I didn’t want to surrender my dream so easily. I graduated from school and began preparing my application, determined to fight for my place in the field I loved. Yet, once again, I found myself under immense pressure—barriers I could not break through. In the end, I was forced to choose a different path. My dream, once vivid and full of life, faded into a distant mirage. And with deep regret, I buried it in the depths of my heart.
But that was not my only dream. There were others—many others. And for them, I have studied, worked hard, and pushed forward. Some I have achieved, while others have slipped through my grasp, turning into mirages just like my military dream.
Yet, I refuse to stop dreaming. I continue to strive toward my future aspirations with the firm belief that I will succeed. There are still so many dreams ahead of me, waiting to be turned into reality.
Lalezar Orinbaeva was born in 2003 in the Turtkul district of the Republic of Karakalpakstan. She is of Turkmen nationality. In 2021, she became a student at the Faculty of Primary Education at the Tashkent University of Applied Sciences in Tashkent. She is an ambassador for three international organizations and a member of one international organization. Her creative works have been published in Kenya, Germany, Albania, Azerbaijan, Russia, Belarus, and several other foreign countries, and are indexed on Google. She is the recipient of various international certificates. She has also founded her personal “Anthology”. Lalezar is a holder of international medals, statuettes, diplomas, certificates, and invitations. She is a professional curator of Dreams That Turned Into a Mirage.
Curious, I consulted a psychic who confirmed what my chart had suggested: that my family had endured shame rooted in a past event—something that happened long before I was born. I couldn’t shake the feeling that my writing was somehow tied to this revelation. So I asked my father about our lineage, and he quietly shared a difficult truth: that his great-grandfather was a Dutch slave master, and his great-grandmother had been an enslaved woman in his household. He directed me to his eldest sister, Aunt Daphne, for more.
Aunt Daphne told me what little she knew about “the Dutchman”—that he was both a pastor and a Justice of the Peace, and that his name was Cornelius. The moment she said his name, I froze. Cornelius was the name of the grandfather pastor in the story I had written all those years ago. I had even described his favorite candy as licorice—a detail that, to my surprise, is a traditional Dutch treat. It was in that moment I realized I hadn’t written a work of fiction after all—I had written a remembrance. My hands had merely transcribed what my spirit already knew.
That was when I knew this story wasn’t meant to stay on a hard drive. It was meant to be shared—both as an act of remembrance and as a tool for healing. The research wasn’t traditional, but it was guided—by dreams, divination, and a deep listening to my lineage.
Question #2:How much of this book is from your ancestry and how much is made up?
To be perfectly honest, I’m not entirely sure where memory ends and imagination begins. When I first began writing Leaves From the Vine, I had no conscious knowledge of what I was channeling. It wasn’t until I later explored my family’s history that I began to see startling parallels—details in the story that echoed my great-great-grandfather’s life and the legacy of his descendants.
That’s why the imagery is somewhat elusive, set in a quiet town “in the middle of nowhere,” a place that could be anywhere—or nowhere at all. It reflects that sense of mystery and ancestral whispering. What I did craft intentionally was the dialogue, the rhythm of the language, the emotional texture. I used artistic license to shape the tone—infusing it with wit, symbolism, and sentiment.
And while the story is deeply rooted in family lineage, I also chose to include something profoundly personal in the Afterword: the Invocation for Sacred Sexual Embodiment (from the Ascension Glossary). That was my offering—a healing remedy for those navigating sexual trauma. While that part isn’t inherited from my ancestry, it’s a conscious and heartfelt contribution to the legacy of healing.
Question#3: How do you think people reconciled being people of faith, and even pastors with being slave owners and perpetuating injustice?
I’m not sure they ever truly had to reconcile it—at least not in a way that disturbed their sense of righteousness. Many slaveholders, including pastors, used scripture—like Ephesians 6:5—to justify the institution of slavery. Verses such as “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear…” were interpreted literally, providing a moral and religious rationale for what was, in truth, a deep injustice.
But faith without compassion becomes blind obedience. And privilege, when left unchecked, can distort one’s understanding of justice and mercy. In many cases, those in power may have believed themselves to be the ones under threat—viewing any resistance from the enslaved as rebellion rather than a cry for freedom.
This perception of fear allowed them to see themselves not as oppressors, but as protectors of order, which further reinforced their actions. It’s a painful paradox: using faith as a shield to avoid reckoning with cruelty. And yet, it’s this very contradiction that makes the truth so vital to examine today—with humility, not blame.
Question #4: How do you think it’s possible to break generational curses or generational patterns of course dysfunctional behavior?
Breaking generational curses isn’t just about changing behavior—it’s about transforming identity at the root. We must approach healing as an act of Identity Alchemy, a sacred process of rewriting the unconscious contracts we’ve inherited.
First, we must Expose the Ancestral Root—identify the patterns that have been passed down, the pain that still echoes through our choices, and the beliefs we didn’t even know we adopted.
Then we Shock the Pattern with Radical Reversal. That means doing the opposite of what the curse expects—speaking the truth where silence ruled, choosing joy where shame lingered, or creating boundaries where chaos thrived.
Next, we Implant a Future Memory by consciously visualizing and anchoring a new narrative—one where we are free, whole, and deeply loved. The subconscious doesn’t know the difference between memory and imagination, so we use that to our advantage.
We then Sever the Quantum Energy Cords, energetically and emotionally cutting ties with the trauma and limitations that no longer serve us. We release the old without fear. Finally, we Embody the One Who Was Never Bound—our truest, most divine self. This is the version of us who lives not from pain, but from power. Who walks not in shame, but in sovereignty.
This is how we heal—not just for ourselves, but for those who came before us and those yet to be born.
Question #5: Did your ancestors ever repent of enslaving people and how might we begin to heal that wound as a country?
Yes (my great- great -grandfather)—he’s repenting through me, his descendant, his soul-scribe. Through my voice, he’s asking for forgiveness. He’s sorry for abusing his power and manipulating his privilege to oppress others. He now understands—through my own suffering—that in enslaving others, he also enslaved himself: to greed, to ego, to the seduction of control.
He became a prisoner to the very forces he thought he controlled. A prisoner to fear, to lust, to legacy. Slavery robbed his victims of their freedom—and robbed him of peace, love, and the humanity that connects all souls, even across lifetimes.
His spirit seeks redemption now. He knows that true power doesn’t require domination. That true privilege uplifts rather than oppresses. And that true faith is never rooted in fear.
The wound of slavery cannot begin to heal if we continue to reopen it—whether knowingly or unconsciously—through daily practices rooted in a painful past. Each time we glorify “soul food” without acknowledging its origins in survival, each time we discipline our children with the same tools once used to control, each time we overlook the spiritual traditions of our ancestors in favor of the religion that once justified their bondage—we unknowingly press salt into the wound.
On the other side, the wound festers in silence each time privilege built on slave labor is denied or dismissed. Every benefit drawn from generational wealth, every institutional advantage, every opportunity rooted in the unpaid labor of others—left unacknowledged—prolongs the ache.
Healing begins when we commit to the uncomfortable work of unlearning: unlearning inherited superiority, and also unlearning generational servitude. It begins when we honor the full truth of our history—not just its victories, but its violations. Only then can we move toward wholeness—not as separate sides, but as one people reckoning, remembering, and rebuilding.
Question #6: How can individual people begin to make amends for systemic injustice put in place by their ancestors?
I’m not entirely sure there’s a single answer, but I do know that making amends begins with a willingness to sacrifice comfort for justice. The obvious place to start would be to embody the spirit of modern-day abolitionists or even modern-day hippies—people unafraid to disrupt the status quo in the name of equality and compassion.
To truly make amends, descendants of those who benefited from systemic injustice must first acknowledge that they’ve inherited not just wealth or status, but also a moral debt. And they must be willing to pay it forward—not in shame, but in service. This might mean using their influence to challenge systems that favor them. It might mean divesting from privileges that came at others’ expense.
But here’s the real question: Who among them is willing to risk losing inherited power, privilege, or prosperity for the sake of justice? To go against the grain of their lineage? Because making amends is more than a performance of empathy. It’s a courageous reordering of values—a revolutionary act of love.
Question #7: What role does faith play in Leaves From the Vine and why/how can faith and spiritual practices help people?
Faith is the heartbeat of Leaves From the Vine. The town of Charlestown itself is built on a foundation of faith, family, and fellowship—where the Big Church stands not only as a place of worship but as the town’s schoolhouse, meeting hall, and sacred ground. It’s quite literally the center of their lives. So when young Jones Jr. begins to question his Christian beliefs, it shakes the town to its very core.
But as the story unfolds, we see how each character is tested. Jones Jr. must find faith in himself to lead the church when his father falls ill. Mrs. Jones clings to her unwavering faith that her son is still alive, even when others doubt. The twin sisters, Anna and Annie, draw on their shared faith in each other to face the nightly hauntings.
Every soul in Charlestown is pushed to their limit—but it’s their faith, especially faith in the power of love, that ultimately breaks the curse. Faith helps people by creating a sacred space for love and joy to dwell—even when the world outside feels harsh or unkind. It serves as a spiritual retreat, a quiet refuge from life’s noise and cruelty.
When doubt clouds the mind and uncertainty shakes the soul, faith becomes the balm that steadies us. It reminds us that we’re not alone. That there’s something greater, something divine, that holds us even when we can’t hold ourselves. Faith gives people something to believe in, especially when belief in themselves feels like too much to carry. It softens the edges of pain and sharpens our vision for hope.
At its most tender, faith teaches us gratitude—for the small mercies, the everyday miracles, and the unseen grace that carries us forward.
Question #8: Why did you write this book and what do you hope to accomplish with Leaves From the Vine?
I wrote this book because I began to sense that I was simply the messenger—entrusted with a story that needed to be told. Over time, it felt less like something I was creating and more like something I was uncovering. I came to see myself as a voice for my great-great-grandfather, someone whose truth had long been buried. Through me, he could finally speak—offering confession, seeking redemption, and hoping for peace. In telling his story, I also hoped to bring healing to his descendants, including myself, and perhaps offer a mirror for others to reflect on their own generational wounds.
This book is my personal call to courage. I hope it inspires others to bravely uncover their own family stories—the ones hidden in silence or shame. I want readers to feel empowered to confront the spiritual and emotional battles their ancestors may have left unresolved. My hope is to awaken a generation that seeks healing with humility, gives and receives love with openness, and chooses to leave behind a legacy rooted in truth, honor, and redemption. If this story stirs even one person to begin that journey, then it has done its work.
Question #9:Who are some of the authors you admire?
I admire Iyanla Vanzant for her bold, unapologetic voice and her willingness to speak from personal experience. In books like Yesterday, I Cried and In the Meantime, she holds herself accountable for her own shortcomings, and that honesty creates space for true healing. I respect that she doesn’t just “preach” to her readers—she walks the talk and invites others to do the same.
I also admire Caroline Myss, particularly for her work in Sacred Contracts, where she introduces the idea that each of us is born with twelve core archetypes that shape our purpose and path. Her teachings helped me recognize the unconscious roles I’ve played and the agreements my soul may have made before coming into this life. That framework has been key to understanding both personal and ancestral patterns.
Don Miguel Ruiz, through his book The Four Agreements, helped me embrace a liberating perspective—especially the powerful lesson of not taking things personally. That one idea alone has protected my peace more times than I can count.
Lastly, I admire Eckhart Tolle for his deeply grounded spiritual wisdom and his conversational approach to writing. The Power of Now is structured as a dialogue, which feels intimate and refreshing—especially for those of us raised in spaces where questioning was discouraged. His work helped me come home to the present moment and discover freedom in simply being.
Each of these authors has been a guidepost on my own spiritual healing journey, and their work quietly echoes through the pages of Leaves From the Vine.
Abstract: This article describes the opinions on the teaching profession and the inner experiences of the 1st-year student who has just entered the university. The article focuses on glorifying teachers and the fact that this profession is an honorable profession.
Key words: New Uzbekistan, teacher, sweet memories, teacher, profession, knowledge, dedication, speech, skillful pedagogue, top class, selector, selfless student, president.
“New Uzbekistan – from the threshold of the
school, begins with the education system”
Shavkat Miromonovich Mirziyoyev
When I remember that the President did not say the above sentence in vain and that only individuals lie at the bottom of it, my hands tremble and a strange feeling appears in my heart. The role of our respected teachers who gave their whole lives to work in such a blessed position is incomparable in educating honorable people. In this place, our respected teachers are accepted and honored with kindness and great fame among the people. Of course, I think this is true. It is natural for the people to be happy to see that he gives equal love to all his students with his selflessness, sincerity, and kindness in the path of his profession. I still remember the day I first stepped into my school. I was a naive girl who didn’t know who I was, cried like a newborn baby and was capricious, who didn’t know what life was all about. When I remember the day I first saw my teacher, I think that he is the second reason for the results I am achieving now. My first teacher was my grandmother, because before I went to school, she took me to kindergarten, taught me how to count, and raised all my joy.
When I remember the first pen I held in my hand on the first day of school, my respect for the teachers swells. One day, my teacher wrote the letter “A” on the blackboard and asked me to write according to this pattern. That was the first letter I wrote then. Do you believe? It turned out so ugly. When my teacher saw what I wrote, he stared blankly. I was very afraid then. I was afraid that they will fight now. No, my teacher didn’t. He came to me and said: “You are such a beautiful girl, why don’t your letters be so ugly, in case you become a bad-tempered girl in the future?” “If you don’t write well, if you don’t learn to speak fluently, you won’t have a place in life.” I was ashamed and almost crying. I stared at my writing while blushing, and I couldn’t bring myself to write back, so I couldn’t pick up the pen. At that moment, my love and interest in the mother tongue faded. My teacher noticed this quickly. I can’t forget one piece of advice he gave me the day he started working with me individually. “Don’t stop fighting, but also get strength from fighting. Do not forget that no matter how many attempts are made, they will not be useless. “If you don’t stop moving until you get out of your grip without success, you have lost your life today,” he said. After that, he sowed the seed of knowledge in my heart and became a person of great value to me. I was young at that time, I did not know the meaning of such words, what kind of concept they mean. After that, I confidently continued to write the letter “A” again and again. Yes, I tried a lot. It is not the same in one, but it is the same in the other. The same thing happened to me. The result of my efforts was not ineffective. When I remember such sweet memories, every moment I spent with my teacher is vivid in my eyes. I think that whether a great person or an ordinary person remembers his first day at school, he feels a special impression and happy mood. They yearn to return to that era, sometimes crying. So, what do you think is the reason for his longing? Of course, in the people who left sweet memories along the way with us as we come to life. The reason why we remember that time and miss it is because of our teacher’s love.
My grandmother is currently working as a skilled pedagogue, a high-class primary education specialist. I envied my grandmother when she taught, and I also considered the profession of a teacher worthy of me. But my grandmother told me that it is not easy. I used to think about the difficulties in the difficult profession of teaching. However, if you want to achieve this from the bottom of your heart, no one and nothing can stand in your way. See, my intention is devoid of truth. I am a student of the Faculty of Primary Education of Jizzakh State Pedagogical University named after Abdulla Qadiri, which has a great history of 50 years, is powerful and has good results in our country.
It is an honor for me to become a teacher. Think for yourself, from the janitor to the president, from the builder to the businessman, from the driver to the pilot, from the marketer to the breeder, from the specialist to the lawyer, there are all professions behind which lies the result of our teacher. Our teacher will be our guide who will help us understand our past, understand ourselves, and know our abilities. They do everything seriously. In fact, both the scientist and the worker come from the same teacher and the same classroom.
It is clear that mature and great people will emerge only from a teacher who can awaken love for his profession. No matter how difficult it is, my passion for my profession does not fade. I want to remember these professionals with a sweet memory for a lifetime. Besides, justifying the knowledge they have given me, I will continue to achieve great results. I need to find the right way to do this. The main thing is that I should instill in myself the feeling of loyalty and dedication to my profession. Along the way, I was accompanied by a team of teachers from the Faculty of Primary Education of Jizzakh State Pedagogical University.
After all, even though it has been less than a month since I came to the faculty, I was very happy to see the opinion and trust of our teachers during the introduction process. Our teachers, who spoke, explained to us that we will join the ranks of talented students, and at the same time, that our state has created many opportunities for talented students, and listed the talented students of the previous academic years by name. The university has a website “Akademiya.uz” for the promotion of talented students, and the articles and published works of all talented students are evaluated on this website. I thought about all the ideas and carefully weighed them. Our teachers are truly showing us the true path. Besides, the trips we made around the university with our teacher were very enjoyable and interesting. During such an intense trip, we also visited the palace of culture of our university. Our team liked the equipment there. Students interested in guitar, piano, flute and trumpet are spending their free time here today. In particular, we were convinced that the presence of books in the library in both paper and electronic form is a comfortable environment for any student. I believed that it was a library full of books, so that we could not look for a lecture on any topic. Seeing that our university is currently working on the “Hemis platform”, I thought that this was the first example of efforts to ensure transparency in education. Strict action will also be taken against those who stay in class. A credit module system has been launched for each subject. Our teachers called us to be vigilant by telling such warning deeds.
Indeed, after hearing about the opportunities available to talented young people in our Republic, I felt a desire to join the ranks of talented students. The number of our students using this opportunity is unlimited. I can emphasize that Aziza Amonova, a graduate of the Faculty of Elementary Education of Jizzakh State Pedagogical University named after Abdulla Kadiri, received the Navoi scholarship for the 2023-2024 academic year, Umid Kadirov “Mard” boy. Ergasheva Mehriniso, who is one of the proud students, is the owner of the scholarship named after Navoi. Fingers are not enough to count our proud young people. It was the team of our university that made several of our students achieve great success in their personal lives. As a result of their success, they were admitted to the master’s degree as a student on a preferential basis. We are currently monitoring the results together.
Look, let’s think about it. If you ask such people the reason why they achieve great results, they will point to their teacher without hesitation. Sometimes there are those who show their parents. Now I will turn to the question why there are students who show their parents. Let me give an example of this question. My dad is a hero to me. Because he was able to restore everything from scratch, he ensured that we grow without discrimination among our friends. Currently, I am far from my parents, but I did not refrain from money or sweet words. For me, he is my teacher who has an incomparable place in life. The way they brought up my mother with sweet words and taught me what life is is still ringing in my ears. Both of these people are my wings, my first teacher and people who have reached the level of being my whole body for me. I am proud to say that all the people who are fighting shoulder to shoulder with me in my life path are my teachers. In particular, I set myself the goal of joining the ranks of exemplary and selfless students at the university. My teacher Shukurova Halima Sunnatullayevna, who understood this goal and helped me earnestly, became a teacher. Many students ask, why did you choose this teacher? Have you thought about whether he will be strong enough to work with you when he is older? they say. But Ustazim’s many experiences, his motherly way of delivering his thoughts, and his kind eyes drew people to him. I have witnessed many times that my teacher also has intuitive abilities.
In conclusion, I can say that receiving the status of a teacher and working faithfully to it is an honorable task only for patient, persistent and proud people. In particular, teachers of primary education should not have such a difficult profession as teaching students from zero, bringing them to the level of a great person, and supporting the student to reach perfection in any situation. A doctor’s mistake kills a patient, a teacher’s mistake kills the whole world. As I grow up to be a teacher, I think that the opinion of my teachers, my grandmother’s trust in me, and the attention of my family members are behind me.
References:
Sh.M. Mirziyoyev “We will continue our path of national development and raise it to a new level.” TASHKENT “UZBEKISTAN” 2017.
Abdullayeva N. “Kasbim-fakhrim” “Mannaviyat” newspaper 2021.
Ulug’bekova O. “I bow to my teacher” “Jizzakh Haqikatii” newspaper 2023 year
Ismailova Hilola is the daughter of Alimardon. She was born in Urganch district of Khorezm region. Currently, she is a 1st-year student at Jizzakh State Pedagogical University named after Abdulla Kadyrov. She has a national certificate of the Uzbek language and is a proud student of Academic Lyceum, holder of a red diploma.
In a world haunted by the echoes of what was lost, presence lingers in absence and memory is etched into every stillness. Shadows speak louder than voices, and silence becomes a vessel for all the questions too heavy to ask. Time stutters through forgotten wars and empty rooms, while fragile gestures—watering a barren plant, floating a paper name—reveal the quiet ache of endurance. Nothing shatters outright; instead, things unravel—light, language, even the self—until what remains is the soft breath before a storm, the quiet no one names, but everyone carries.
WHAT THE SILENCE HOLDS
<Vo Thi Nhu Mai>
1/
A bird circles above the ruins
as if sketching a name, it once knew
but cannot pronounce.
The wind holds the walls upright
only long enough
for a child to pass through.
The silence is not absence
It is the weight of unasked questions
left at the door of every house.
Someone or no one
has taken the weapons
and buried them in a field
where no one remembers to search.
Before the first word
a shadow knelt.
It did not pray
It did not ask to stay
It simply pressed
its whole being
into the space
between heartbeats.
2/
The window was not broken
It just forgot
how to hold the light.
You asked me a question
with your back turned
something about staying
Or maybe abandon.
The clock kept time for a war
no one remembered starting.
And still you kept watering
a plant that never grew.
I folded my name into a paper shape
and set it afloat on the floorboards.
Somewhere under the house
a slow leak was learning
how to become a river.
There were footsteps upstairs
No one was home
Only the dust, and a song
that wouldn’t stop
forgetting its own melody.
If a silence opens its mouth, who listens?
If you survive, but your shadow doesn’t
what walks beside you?
There is no anthem for the unbroken
Only this: the hush before thunder
that no one calls a promise.
VO THI NHU MAI
http/vietnampoetry.wordpress.com
– Date of Birth: March 18, 1976
– Hometown: Quảng Trị, Vietnam
– Current Residence: Dianella, Western Australia, Australia
– Occupation: Primary school teacher in the public education system of Western Australia
– Education: Master’s in Education, Master Degree in Literature
– Roles: Poet, translator
– Work History:
– 1998-2003: English teacher at Ngô Quyền High School, Châu Đức, Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu
– 2003-2010: postgraduate studies at Edith Cowan University (ECU), WA
– 2006-2016: Taught at Dryandra Primary School, WA
– 2016-present: Teaching at Maylands Primary School, WA
– 2015-2022: Volunteered at Hùng Vương Vietnamese School on weekends and successfully secured government funding for school activities twice.
teacher, poet, translator
As a primary school teacher with over twenty years of full-time teaching experience in Western Australia, following five years of teaching at a high school in Bà Rịa Vũng Tàu.
In addition to being a poet with numerous published works, my poetry was selected for inclusion in a book as part of a 2023 English poetry competition in Western Australia, organized and curated by WAPOET.
Several of my poems have been set to music and performed across various districts within the country.
I am also an advocate for promoting the works of fellow artists, often designing, presenting, and writing prefaces for their literary collections.
I frequently present bilingual poetry readings at cultural festivals organized by the Vietnamese Women’s Association in Western Australia.
Poetry Collections:
Reflections on Poetry (Poetry, Women’s Publishing House, 2010)
Beyond the Vast Ocean (Poetry, Literature Publishing House, 2011)
The Fairy Tale Garden (Poetry, Writers’ Association Publishing House, 2015)
Let the Day Be Short (Poetry, Thuận Hóa Publishing House, 2022)
Oh, that’s true, I am waiting (Poetry, upcoming publication)
Vietnamese-English Translated Works Published in Recent Years:
Bilingual Poetry of Võ Quê
Bilingual Poetry of Nguyễn Thanh Kim (published in Romania)
Bilingual Poetry of Nguyễn Quốc Học
Bilingual Poetry of Vũ Thụy Nhung
Bilingual Poetry of Trần Quang Đạo (published in Canada)
Nhịp Điệu Việt The Rhythm of Vietnam, Bilingual Edition (Anthology of 307 poets from Vietnam and abroad)
Because it’s the only way to come into “the flow” …
Jacques Fleury
Jacques Fleury is a Boston Globe featured Haitian American Poet, Educator, Author of four books and a literary arts student at Harvard University online. His latest publication “You Are Enough: The Journey to Accepting Your Authentic Self” & other titles are available at all Boston Public Libraries, the University of Massachusetts Healey Library, University of Wyoming, Askews and Holts Library Services in the United Kingdom, The Harvard Book Store, The Grolier Poetry Bookshop, Amazon etc… He has been published in prestigious publications such as Wilderness House Literary Review, Muddy River Poetry Review, Litterateur Redefining World anthologies out of India, Poets Reading the News, the Cornell University Press anthology Class Lives: Stories from Our Economic Divide, Boston Area Small Press and Poetry Scene among others…Visit him at: http://www.authorsden.com/jacquesfleury.–
Jacques Fleury’s book You Are Enough: The Journey Towards Understanding Your Authentic Self
Examine close reading of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale with critical perspectives and textual references.
Margaret Atwood’s masterpiece “The Handmaid’s Tale” is a phenomenal dystopian speculative fiction of contemporary totalitarianism and authoritarianism “within Western society and within Christian tradition itself”. Old Testamentary militarized hierarchy disempowers women’s emancipation and dismantles womanhood into the closetted fetters of patriarchalism and misogyny as encountered by the tragic handmaids Offred and Ofglen. The worldview of casually held attitudes about women is a real life problem exposition of social commentary critiquing antifeminism and gender treachery, ecological disasters like nuclear radiation and chemical pollution, civil war and political turmoil, widespread sterility/ infertility and sexually transmitted diseases (HIVs and AIDs) contagion. New England Puritanism of Gileadean microcosm is a metafictional epilogue of post futuristic dystopian society purporting to be the premise of international historical association conference 2195. “Loving neighbours while harbouring animosity for the arbitrary adversaries reflect stranding of beleaguered populace within the communion and community. Offred is otherized as a concubine and wanton woman of the preGileadean regime. Offred’s reproductive machinery emblematically symbolizes sacrificial offering as a two legged womb fertility and/or surrogacy despite her malicious victimhood vulnerable to the vicious status quo as adulteress and strumpet. Mooning and Juneing of the coterie damsels and brothel courtesans reflect the objectification of commodified property of male gaze as extrapolated by the novelist. Gileadean feminization refrain and restrain from womanizing creatures of male power fantasies. Sexuality and gender stereotyping apartheid of womanhood is subversively challenged by subalterns and marthas, Rita and Nick, harbouring solidarity with the Mayday Resistance movement. Nick is hired by Serena Joy to cuckold Offred in return of heir to eclipse sexual impotency and emasculative effeminacy of her masterly lord husband, the commandant. However, Nick embodies humanness and philanthropism through espousal of escapade for the entrapped maiden’s absconsion to Canada.
Atwood’s feminist utopian idealism pontificates that masculine system is the major cause of social and political problems and showcases women as not only as the least equals of men but also as the sole arbiters of their reproductive functions. The novel is detrimental to Christian tradition because of being sexually explicit, violently graphic and morally corrupt. Anti Biblical teachings pertaining to sexuality and gender education are preached within the domain of The Handmaid’s Tale. However, the novel is a masterpiece of dystopian speculative fiction that espouses the exploration of “the most insidious and violent manifestations of power in Western history”. Jezebels and handmaids are iconoclastic milestones and cornerstones of enforced sexual captivity sanctioned by the Gileadean regime. Furthermore allegorical satire of the en masse non white African Americans rehabilitation and/or en route of Jewish diasporic exodus community repatriation to New Jerusalem have been depicted by the novelist. This dystopian nightmarish speculative fiction anchors barren wives of the elite class as royalists and depersonalizes the subjectivity of the subaltern other gender as fertility machines in accord with their reproductive agencies. Moreover, segregationist and separatist abortion rights and declining birth rates in Romanian and Canadian territorial context are allegorized. The universalistically spectacular appeal of the novel distinctively intertwines interlacing of feminist survivor characters’ destinies with ideological absolutism of the tyrannical apartheid. Racial persecution and ethnic cleansing cast vulnerable survivalists as prey into the cascade of fanaticism, extremism and fundamentalism.
Regressive and repressive state policies of conservative Gilead disfavours women’s rights movement including sapphic individuals, abortionists, abolitionists, religious sects and banishing Jews, elderly females and non white populace to the territorial outskirts of radioactive fallout colonies. As a feminist activist Margaret Atwood voices for women’s education and property power of attorney as manifested through the caricature of Mayday Resistance. Mayday Resistance is bolstered by radical feminist activist Ofglen to overthrow the republic of Gilead. However, the antifeminist traits of the novel marginalizes and otherizes handmaids as mere breeders of reproductive machinery and /or reproductive agencies. These womenfolk relegates themselves as inferior and subservient to social, religious and cosmic roles, duties, obligations and errands sanctified and decreed by state sponsored right wing fundamentalism, rigid dogmas and misogynistic theosophies. Atwood’s Aunt Lydia is a depiction of church-state sponsored staunchest pacifists passive to the women’s resistance and rebellion; vicious preachers casting as spokesperson for antifeminism and urges handmaids to metamorphose themselves in the crux of de-sexuality, impersonality, disfiguration, disembodiment and dehumanization. In contrast, Nick is a renegade mutineering legacy of handmaids through underground networking channels resulting in rescue operations of entrapped maidens. However, the novel’s mimetic impulse of the commander appears more pathetic than sinister, baffled than manipulative and almost at all times a fool personae, thus condoning antifeminism. The narrator-protagonist of Handmaid’s Tale coping, endurance and survival quest after all, transmits translucent beacon of hope and humility for the oppressed minority amidst chilling and depressive uprooted soulless existence of a misogynous regime. Atwood’s subtle transfiguration to heroic feminist survivor sly subversive and determined daring conniver overthrow coercive dungeons of the pervasive canons of Gilead’s ruthlessly dystopian tyrannical nature. “Dark realm within’, ‘cellar’ and ‘attic hiding place’ connote ubiquitous nightmarish envisionings colonizing powers imposed upon handmaid-slave dynamic identity beyond exemplar premises of pervasive canons of Gilead frontiers. Offred’s solicitous gratification with hiraeth is a phantasmal escapism from absurdity and futility and/or defeatism and paralysis of the obsolete frozen barren wasteland. The mind style narrator-protagonist voice and perception is symptomatic of traumatic events and of excluded experiences that exemplifies discourse of a socially marginalized individual more than a woman’s language. Afterall, Eurydice, the Creation- death goddess whose self-expression and self-affirmation epiphanies emerges as evanescently and enigmatically in the resurrected tomb of the buried earthy womb epitomizes Offred’s repressive state of affairs.
Further Reading, References, Endnotes and Podcasts
Donna J. Haraway’s, 35. Introduction: A Cyborg Manifesto, Science, Technology and Socialist Feminism in the Late Twentieth Century, Routledge New York pp. 149-181
A woman’s place is in the resistance: self, narrative and performative femininity as subversion and weapon in the Handmaid’s Tale by Courtney Landis, Millersville University of Pennsylvania, Repository and Digital Archive pp. 1-70
The New York Times Margaret Atwood on ‘What The Handmaid’s Tale Means in the Age of Trump?’ Book Review Essays March 10, 2017
Margaret Atwood’s ‘The Handmaid’s Tale and the Dystopian Tradition’ Amin Malak, Canadian Literature Review, pp. 1-8
Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale: Resistance Through Narrating, Hilde Staels, 1995, English Studies, 76:5, pp. 455-467
‘Just a Backlash’: Margaret Atwood, Feminism and The Handmaid’s Tale, Shirley Neuman, pp. 1-12, University of Toronto Quarterly, Volume 75, No. 3, Summer 2006.
Anna Keiko’s Painting in the Map of Contemporary Art
By: Rizal Tanjung
In the realm of contemporary visual art, Anna Keiko may not yet be a household name among the giants of the global art scene, but her work holds a narrative potential and visual expression that should not be underestimated. One of her notable pieces is a 50×60 cm painting that, at first glance, suggests gestural freedom and the power of color. Yet, behind that freedom lies structure, silent narrative, and deep cultural resonance.
The painting presents three compositional clusters—two vertical figures and one group in the lower right—composed of rough brushstrokes, contrasting colors, and strong textures. Dominated by black, red, yellow, and green, these form ambiguous figurative shadows: are they humans, masks, or cultural silhouettes?
This essay aims to unpack the work from various perspectives: the history of painting, relevant art movements, aesthetic theory, symbolic approaches, and the broader global context in which it resides.
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1. Gestural Aesthetics and the Legacy of Abstract Expressionism
If we trace the history, Keiko’s spontaneous, dynamic, and emotionally charged brushstrokes have strong roots in Abstract Expressionism. This movement emerged in post-WWII America, led by figures such as Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Willem de Kooning. They rejected representational forms in favor of gesture and abstraction as a means to express the soul and existential condition.
Anna Keiko, though living in a different era and cultural context, seems to inherit this spirit. Her use of impasto (thick paint application) invites a sensory perception of texture and depth, making the painting seem alive and in motion. In her hands, paint becomes more than a medium—it becomes a “body language” that speaks directly to the viewer’s senses and emotions.
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2. Figurative Ambiguity: Between Representation and Imagination
Unlike pure Abstract Expressionism, which often forgoes representation altogether, Keiko’s work offers shadowy but distinct silhouettes. We see “figures”—perhaps human, divine, or cultural icons—yet without clear detail. This situates her work within the spectrum of Neo-Expressionism, a movement that re-emerged in the 1980s as a critique of minimal and conceptual art.
Neo-Expressionism revived the human form in raw, expressive, and sometimes brutal ways. Keiko reflects this through a subtler, more contemplative approach. She doesn’t simply paint humans; rather, she suggests their presence through shadows and fragmented forms. As if inviting us to see humanity not through physical form, but through its traces and lingering energy.
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3. Color Symbolism and Visual Tension
The color palette Keiko employs is far from arbitrary. Black dominates as background and contour, red evokes emotional intensity, yellow brings light and vitality, while green resonates with nature. These hues are not smoothly blended but rather “clashed,” creating strong visual tension.
In expressionist color theory, each color carries an emotional and symbolic charge. Kandinsky, a pioneer of abstraction, once wrote that color is a “psychic instrument.” In this context, Keiko’s colors are not decorative, but symbolic—conveying an unspoken narrative beyond words.
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4. Eastern Touch: Zen, Emptiness, and the Meaning Within Silence
The name “Keiko” carries a Japanese nuance, and the minimalist tendencies in her composition suggest the influence of Eastern aesthetics. Traditional Chinese and Japanese ink painting, such as sumi-e, emphasizes the importance of emptiness, space, and brush movement as core aesthetic elements.
In Zen philosophy, perfection is found within imperfection. Keiko’s painting, with its rough, unfinished forms that seem to “pause mid-thought,” invites contemplation. It speaks through silence—eschewing literal narrative in favor of a personal, introspective experience. In this way, Keiko unites the duality of East and West: the expressive freedom of the West with the meditative depth of Zen visual tradition.
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5. Art as a Cross-Cultural Space
In an increasingly fluid global art landscape, works like Anna Keiko’s serve as vital cultural bridges. Her work does not align itself with a single tradition—not strictly Western, nor purely Eastern. Instead, it embodies the global artist of today—working across geographic, historical, and artistic boundaries.
Her painting demonstrates that art need not choose between abstraction and figuration, between the personal and the universal, or between emotion and concept. All can coexist within the same canvas, just as our world moves in ever-growing complexity.
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6. Positioning the Work within the Contemporary Art Map
In the midst of conceptual, digital, and interactive installation art, gestural painting like Keiko’s remains relevant. Arguably, it is becoming even more vital as a form of resistance to the sterile nature of digitization. The human touch, the brush’s trace, and visual irregularity become the “honesty” sought in an era of visual simulation.
Keiko’s painting stands as proof that “painting” is far from obsolete. It is not merely a traditional medium, but a transformative one—capable of fostering contemplation, self-expression, and cross-cultural reflection.
What may appear to be a modest-sized painting holds layers of thought and complex visual intensity. It stands as evidence that abstract art is not an escape from reality, but rather a quest for meaning beyond surface representation.
Within a single canvas, Anna Keiko invites us to explore art history, dive into inner depth, reflect on color symbolism, and ultimately—meet ourselves. She is not merely an artist who paints forms, but one who transforms visual experience into spiritual and cultural resonance.
